Branwen Origins
by GambolMuse
Summary: Qrow and Raven went to Beacon, we all know that. The question is how were they picked? What was life for them like before leaving for Beacon Academy? What is life like in the Branwen tribe? Why am I asking you when I'm writing the story? Let's find out.
1. Chapter 1: A Night Out

**Just a short intro chapter for an idea I've had for a while now.**

**I'm expecting to alternate between this and my other story, Weight of a Name, so updates will probably be every other week. Schedule and life willing. **

**Here's to hopefully a fun little story!**

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The sun had set hours ago and yet the sky continued to burn.

Reds and oranges swirled, dancing together in a deadly ballet. Crackling and hissing flames licked at buildings, climbing wooden frames and engulfing homes. Fires reached high into the sky, gluttonous, as if the earthly destruction it wrought wasn't enough to sate its hunger. Heaven itself needed to burn. Only then would be fires be satisfied.

Steel struck steel. A man cried out and timbers fell, a home collapsing beneath its own weight. Through a courtyard littered with bodies of men and women a small group moved, throwing torches on buildings as they went. Behind them another group pushed a carriage, pillaging and robbing the dead or dying as they went.

The town's name was forgotten, and by tomorrow morning it would cease to exist. Hollow husks of homes would remain, sure, but that would be all. Crops were pillaged or burned, supplies stolen, militia slain.

Beyond the town's walls a Beowolf howled, then another. A chilling, bestial chorus filled the night with a chilling ode to death.

Any fools who remained in town were only inviting further misery upon themselves.

Any who tried to flee would likely die, torn asunder by tooth and claw.

Such was life in the wilds.

The strong lived. The weak died. Those were the rules.

"Move it! Gather what you can and get to the gates! We. Are. Leaving!"

Another building collapsed, half of its roof caving in, burying corpses beneath burning rubble. Ash swirled in the wind, the smell of death turning the air pungent, thick with the scent of iron.

Rushing out of a burning home and coughing through her facemask a young woman shook her head, balancing a bag of goods in one arm and wiping soot from her face. Sweat dripped from her brow and she spared the burning home a parting glance before running through the town center. A man laid half in the well, half out, a sword buried between his shoulder blades. She paused and rifled through his pockets, cursing when she came up empty.

"Lot of use you were…"

The body toppled into the well and landed with an echoing splash. Peering into the dismal pit she wrinkled her nose in disgust and took off towards the gates. Other members of the raiding party stood at the ready, piling their spoils into the back of a cart. Dumping her own inside - a brass candlestick, a clock, a smith's hammer and a sheet of fine linen, she tucked her rucksack into her belt and stepped back to make room for others.

Useless, most of it, but one man's trash is another's treasure. Or in this case, one man's belongings were another's for the right price.

Mistral wasn't wanting for black markets and shady dealings. Someone had to supply the merchants with their goods. Luckily for all involved there were plenty of settlements ripe for the picking. Bandits lived large so long as they could pillage, and merchants sold spoils to the highest bidder. Everyone was happy.

"Rae! Hey Rae!"

Everyone except those whose lives were forfeited. Raven drew down her mask and smiled, raising a hand at the lanky boy running to greet her. He ran like a deer… A baby deer. Legs much too long for his age it was a surprise he could walk at all. Gangly mess, and not even built like most boys their age. A reed given human form.

She loved that reed regardless. Raven embraced her brother and grabbed his arms, stepping back and looking him over slowly.

"You're uninjured, good."

"I know how to fight, Raven. I could say the same about you, ya know." Raven flicked the boy and he grimaced, stepping back and rubbing his forehead. "Ow! What's that for?"

"That's the part you're supposed to say 'Glad you're okay', idiot," she snorted.

"Yeah? And if I did then you'd be pissed I was worried." Qrow wiped soot and grime from his cheeks."Not that I'd worry about you."

"You ass!"

Qrow laughed, dancing away as Raven took a shot at his ribs. Fire danced in her eyes and she grinned, giving chase and getting a hold of his arm. She pulled, then growled, a hand pressed firmly on her forehead and pushing her back. Her grip slipped and she reached for Qrow's neck. "Hey! Don't do that!"

"Get taller, then it won't be a problem!"

"I could kick you in the dick instead! Then we'll see who's taller!"

A horn signaled the raid had come to an end. The gatehouse going up in flames told everyone the town was as good as finished. Ducking beneath Qrow's arm she jabbed at his side and grinned, running past the cart and outside the town. Cheers rang in the air and Raven pumped a fist in a show of solidarity, hollering and laughing. Qrow ruffled her hair and she swat at her brother, cursing him through a smile.

Tonight, the Branwen tribe was the strong one. That was normal. They were unbeatable, unparalleled in this region of Mistral. Smaller tribes steered clear or were wiped out. Larger tribes didn't bother to fight them, not wanting to lose the manpower to even try. Moving as often as they did meant the authorities could never catch them.

Freedom in the purest sense of the word. As Raven cheered again with her brothers and sisters, screaming at the starry night sky and raising her bloodied sword high, euphoria overtook her. Adrenaline from the brief but bloody battle with nowhere else to go left her wired and looking for an outlet.

The others shared her sentiment, laughing, dancing, and shoving one another as they trudged down the dark road, the burning town quickly turning into little more than a flickering candlelight on the horizon. Howls flagged the beginning of the Grimm's turn to wreak havoc. All they would find within the town were broken buildings and the deceased. The tribe? They would leave without a single loss to their name and a cart full of stolen goods.

Tonight would be a good celebration indeed.

/+/+/+/+/+/

Burning ale went down her throat and Raven coughed, grinning as she swayed in her seat. "Ah-ha! That's good shit!" Beside her Qrow snorted, giving her a shove that nearly toppled her over. "Oi! Fuck off, Qrow!"

Her brother grinned and held out his mug. "Who're you gonna drink with then, sister of mine?" He winked, inclining his head and raising an eyebrow. "Old Ferres?"

On the other side of the celebration an old woman swayed absently, tapping her foot to the music. One eye found the twins staring at her and she flashed a smile without teeth, lifting a bony, wrinkled hand. Raven nearly vomited then and there, retching and covering her mouth. "Yeah right… And you'll finally get Sila to sleep with you!"

"Hey, it could happen!"

Yeah, and the ground could swallow them all up, or the moon could fall out of the sky and crush them into a fine paste. Raven didn't notice either happening. Weird. Snorting, she leaned over and rested against Qrow's lean frame, sloshing her mug as she closed her eyes. Drums rang out with each vigorous strike and the singers - the few in the tribe who actually had a voice, coalesced in a harmonious sound that seemed ill-fitting for a roaming group of killers.

Raven rather liked the sound.

The bonfire roared to life and she cracked her eyes lazily to watch the flames turn green, blue, gold, and white. The tribe's healer danced and whooped as he threw fistful after fistful of plants into the flame, basking the camp in a rainbow of hues.

Another successful raid, another evening of celebration.

Raid, celebrate, raid, celebrate. They lived with full stomachs - fuller than many who permanently settled, and slept easily, safe from Grimm. They had drink aplenty, more Lien, Dust, and goods than they knew what to do with, and eventually raiding became more of a habit than a necessity.

Complacency meant weakness. Even if they didn't need to raid, they would do so just to keep sharp. Keep their skills in top form.

Two of the men celebrating stumbled into one another, each spilling their drinks. A few angry words were shared, and one threw a punch, missing and face planting in the dirt. The other tried to kick him and toppled backwards, and soon the pair devolved into a halfhearted, drunken flailing of limbs.

Top form.

Raven snorted and downed the rest of her ale, blinking back the tears that burned in her eyes. Coughing, she set aside her mug and reached for Qrow's, growling when her brother leaned away and finished it himself.

"Ass." Her eyes narrowed, then crossed when her brother poked her nose.

"Takes one to know one."

"Scathing comeback, brother." Raven grinned. "Did it take you all day to think of it?"

"Nope, on the spot. I'm just that smart."

"You did dress yourself this morning." Raven shook her mug upside down and huffed, depositing it on the tray of a passing maiden. Her brother stared a bit too long and she ribbed him with her elbow. "Don't even think about it."

Unabashed, Qrow smirked and held up his hands. "Never. Mind's pure as snow."

"Filled with volcanic ash, maybe."

"Hey!"

She reeled when Qrow shoved her, laughing and pushing him back. They could do this all day and she wouldn't have minded in the least. Most days they did. Constant bickering, playful jabs, taking shots at one another every chance they got. That was normal for siblings right? As normal as siblings who belonged to a pillaging, murderous tribe of bandits could be.

Raven wouldn't loosen up like that for anyone else besides Qrow. No one else could get her to laugh or play along with their ridiculous schemes quite like her brother.

She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

Fire roared and stretched higher into the sky, flames twisting around themselves, spreading out and throwing simpering ashes high into the air. The music reached its climax, strings plucked at a rapid rate, notes screeching as the drummers put every ounce of their remaining strength into a hastened beat.

Voices reached a fever pitch and a once tuneful song devolved into drunken screeching and hollering.

Raven clapped along with the others when the music finally subsided. The musicians bowed and gladly accepted mugs of ale, trading their instruments without a second thought and joining in the revelry. Even without music people continued to dance. Some tried to begin singing again. They were silenced with thrown ale or jeers.

The time song was over. Now drunken revelry could begin in earnest.

A boy their age sauntered out of the crowd, rosy faced and grinning impossibly wide. He lifted his mug high overhead and swayed despite standing still, leaning as though an invisible wind tried to knock him over. Somehow keeping upright, he snickered, lifting his glass high.

"To the tribe! To our family!"

"Here here!" She and Qrow cheered right along.

"To our victory!"

"Aye!"

And over he went, faceplanting against the grass and spilling his ale. Two of his friends stumbled out and tried to help him. They tripped over themselves, every bit as gone as the first. One of them made a comment to the other and a punch was thrown, then another. All in good fun, naturally; weapons came out if someone really had a problem.

Three things were an automatic given in the world.

First, the strong lived, the weak survived, that was absolute.

Raven slid over on her shared seat and watched a man charge through the crowd, piling himself on one of the fallen boys, then groaning as he was kicked off and piled on in turn.

The second was that the sun and moon always followed one another. An endless, cyclical dance that had carried on long since before they walked Remnant and would continue well after they had all been reduced to dust.

From somewhere within the crowd a table broke. The crowd dispersed and laughter broke out. Raven grinned and watched as two men scrambled for supremacy, trying in their drunken stupors to grapple. It looked more like a bucket of worms writhing helplessly, a jumble of limbs that couldn't do anything beyond flailing.

Third?

If the tribe was given a chance to drink, they would.

One of the rougher women of the tribe jumped up on a chair and held her fists up in the air. "Who wants some?!" She disappeared a second later, dragged down and thrown into a growing mass of flailing limbs and liquor-addled shouts.

Wherever liquor went a 'friendly' brawl was sure to follow.

Qrow tossed his mug aside and stretched, standing from his seat and rolling his shoulders. Raven recognized the glint in his eye and cracked her knuckles. "Rae, you thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?"

Did he even have to ask? Both of them were sober, or at least more so than the majority of their tribe. Alcohol was a wonderful equalizer. It turned the beast of warriors into bumbling fools, loosened the tightest tongues, and made fast friends of enemies.

Or enemies of friends.

A haggard man in fur skins stumbled back into them, grumbling and swatting at someone in front of him only to miss by a yard. Raven pushed his back and smirked, unphased by having to look up at the man's ruddy face. Beady eyes blinked back at her before he grinned, lifting trunk like arms and exploding with boisterous laughter.

"C'mere, runt! Lemme see what you -"

He wheezed as Raven unburied her fist from his crotch, stepping back as he stumbled forward. The man - Rutherford, if she remembered right, tripped over Qrow's outstretched leg. Bulky as he was and intoxicated beyond any reasonable doubt he cried out and went down like an oak, smashing into a table behind them and becoming buried in dishes of food.

"Bet I can beat more than you!"

Raven scoffed. "We're even and you know it." Scanning the growing bed of insanity, she laughed, shooting Qrow a challenging grin. "Let's call this a tiebreaker?"

"Loser takes the winner's patrol duty for a week?"

"You're on."

Fool. On their best day they might have some trouble with the senior members of the tribe. Not when they were struggling just to walk. Beating a handful of them, or anyone really, would be child's play. All she needed to do was pick out a few easy marks, inflate her numbers, then go in and -

"I didn't say go yet, you ass!" Raven screamed as Qrow charged into the fray.

"You didn't say wait either!"

That was fair play. So too was 'accidentally' tripping up her brother if given the chance. Not that she'd do that. Conceding to her brother she hurried into the nearest brawl she could find, ducking under errants wings with ease. Smaller than many of their fellows and thinner to boot Raven couldn't realistically win a straight up exchange. She sidestepped a man's lunging grab and drove the heel of her hand into his jaw. He doubled back and she kicked the back of his left leg, cracking her knuckles with a jab to his head.

With a bit of deft footwork she weaved into another man's attacks, his alcohol-laden movements obvious. A fist the size of a melon careened past her head and she buried her elbow into his gut, slipping away before he could hammer down on her. Digging her knees into his back she grinned as one arm wrapped around his trunk like neck, pulling with all her might.

It was something like a rodeo. Growing blue in the face and already lethargic the man flailed his arms, crashing into other people and knocking over the more inebriated fighters.

She was counting those for herself.

His hands grabbed her sides and Raven yelped, surprised the man had the strength to pry her off. The world went upside down and she tumbled through the air, righting herself and landing on top of a table. Dishware fell away as she danced back from groping hands, kicking up a tray and leaving an imprint of someone's face in it. Dropping the thin metal, she snickered, diving right back into the crowd and tackling someone else to the ground.

Her new opponent growled and grabbed at her face, pushing at her chin to keep Raven back. Someone stepped on her leg and she growled right back, letting go of his shirt and rolling aside. Somebody tripped over her and landed on the newest contestant, knocking them both out.

Qrow grinned down at her, held up four fingers, then jaunted off to find another.

"Liar."

Another table tipped. More dishware and cutlery cluttered to the ground with a resounding crash, food flying. Raven ducked under a flying plate of stew, stepped over someone who had just passed out - probably not dead. Probably. One more would make it even. Two would put her in the lead.

Nearby a scrawny boy tussled with an elderly member of the tribe. It was such a pitiful sight, and probably the closest to being handed a win on a silver platter that Raven would get.

_I can do better than that,_ she thought, scanning for someone more fitting for her victory. She had to win by beating someone important. Someone substantial. Not some… Twerp and his granddad having a row.

Some of the crowd began to part and people fell aside like blades of grass in a wind. Raven pushed a man out of her way, eager to see who was knocking aside fighters with such ease. One of their best fighters? If they had any liquor in them then she could manage a victory. No matter how many people Qrow bested she could lord that over him!

While most people began to turn away and run Raven pushed against the crowd, heart hammering, a nervous grin splitting her face. It was someone no one wanted to fight. The quartermaster? One of the older hunters?

Two men split aside like parting a bush and Raven threw her fist without a moment's thought, delighted when she made solid contact with someone's chest.

"What is all of this…?"

Raven froze, staring at her fist before slowly lifting her head. Black eyes glared down beneath a thick brow, scars littering the man's face. She drew her hand back and fell away half a step. Muscles in the man's neck tensed and she held up her fists. Well, if she was going to be done in she'd at least go down swinging.

"I -"

For not the first time tonight her world went upside down. Only this time it stayed inverted. Getting a sudden case of vertigo Raven's cheeks puffed and she clamped a hand over her mouth. When it passed and she remained flipped she kicked her free leg, the other held in an iron grip.

"Put me down! I didn't do anything!"

A gruff scoff was her reply and she whined as she was shaken like a plaything. Then, much to her horror and chagrin, the man lifted her to his level and her hands desperately tried to keep her tunic from falling open.

"Did you start this, runt?"

"N-No, but I -"

"Yes or no. I don't need a story."

Helpless as a babe Raven swung in the man's grip, face red from embarrassment and the blood rushing to her head. People ceased their fighting the moment they saw her, or more aptly, the man carrying her. She spotted Qrow nearby, holding someone in a headlock. One look her way and he dropped the man, straightening out his disheveled appearance as much as he could.

Gods the bonfire was hot this close. At least she wasn't being dumped into it? While flames hissed and crackled much too close for comfort the entire tribe traded its shouting for complete and utter silence. Nobody dared to move, no one even dared to cough. Someone groaned and they were given several furious looks.

"I leave for ten minutes and you're behaving like animals." They were better than animals. Though Raven supposed they did shit in the woods like a common beast. "Who started this?"

Unsurprisingly, no one was willing to give themselves up right away. Feet shuffled and people glanced at each other. Raven kicked against her captor and was finally let down. Dropped really. She hit the ground with a groan and rolled over off her back, having half a mind to get up and hurry away until a boot pushed her back onto the ground.

"No one? So you're all guilty of being idiots then?" In the mass of unease someone stumbled forward, pushed by those nearest him. Face twitching, the unassuming young man bowed his head, wringing his dirty, food smeared jacket.

"Griffon, I-I…"

"Stop."

The boy went silent as did the entirety of the tribe. Raven stopped trying to wriggle free when Griffon's boot pressed harder against her back. She didn't dare to even grunt as a heel dug into her spine, gritting her teeth and bearing it. Griffon scanned the crowd, fingers tapping against the hammers on his belt, then ran a hand through his cropped hair.

"I gave you all leave to celebrate, not act like animals. If you're so eager to behave like beasts then I'll send you into the forests. No clothes, no weapons. You can behave like the creatures you seem so eager to be. Does anyone want that?" A few people murmured half hearted replies. Raven couldn't help but wince as a boot pressed harder into her back, the corners of her eyes welling up. "Are you animals or are you men?!"

"Men, sir!"

"None of you want to be thrown to the wolves?"

"No, sir!"

Griffon spat onto Raven's shoulder and finally removed his boot. "Good. Clean up camp. Patrols be ready to set out. We're leaving first light, and I'll be damned if we leave anything behind because one of you morons neglected to pack it."

Raven rolled onto her side and winced. The pressure on her back had faded but a dull, unpleasant throb persisted. She nursed her chest and coughed, kicking up dirt and coughing again. Their tribe leader paid her no mind and stepped over her, parting the crowd as he moved through them.

"Well? Get to it!"

People shoved one another as they hurried to clean up. Raven waited until Griffon was well away before picking herself up. The heat of the fire made her draw away and she almost swung when someone grabbed her, blinking owlishly to see her brother looking at her with concern. Before he even said a word, she put a hand over his mouth, shook his head, and stood, brushing off his offer to help with that.

What good would she be if she couldn't even stand on her own accord?

"Come on, you heard him. Let's get our stuff together and ready to move." Not that they had much. Raven started to move away and frowned when Qrow grabbed her wrist.

"Should we help everyone else?"

"Why? They started it."

"Yeah, well… Griffon finished it," Qrow said, smiling at his attempted humor. Raven deadpanned and he let out a long sigh. "Come on Rae, you heard him."

"Fine, if only to keep you from nagging me. Aren't the younger siblings supposed to listen to the older one?"

"You've got a few hours on me, sis."

"Still older," she taunted, grinning as she pulled herself free.

Qrow groaned. She'd never let him forget that fact. Sure, seniority didn't mean much here, at least not when it came to age. All the tribe cared for was your ability to fight, or barring that, what you could offer. In that regard they were equal, and in the tribe's eyes, neither of them were any better or worse than the other.

She was still older though, and she'd remind Qrow of that until the day they died. Bastard had her beat for height anyways, it was the only thing she had really.

_That… And I could actually get laid if I wanted to. _Catching her brother lusting after another female member of the tribe she snorted, slapping his arm and shaking her head at his confused expression. _Boys are so single-minded. How the hell do they get anything done?_

"Hey Rae?"

"Hm?" She paused to collect discarded mugs and plates, stacking them in her arms. Looking around for somewhere to deposit them she left them in a pile on a nearby table; she'd done her part, let someone else wash them.

"What'd you do to make Griffon so pissed at you?"

"Uh…" On second thought maybe she could busy herself with the dishes. She started to collect them again and licked her tongue when Qrow loomed over her.

"Raven…?"

"I might have, sort of… Punched him?"

Qrow gawked at her, slack jawed and hands out, palms up. "You _what?!_"

"I didn't realize who it was, okay? I was just swinging!"

"We're so fucked…" her brother groaned, putting his face in his hands and slouching. "We're going to be on double duty for a month."

Maybe not! Maybe tonight was such a shitshow that Griffon and the elders would be too busy doling out punishment to the whole tribe to focus on her.

Except no one else had been stupid enough to punch the leader. That man's tolerance for nonsense was about as high as her tolerance for stupidity itself. Ironic, considering she was easily the biggest moron of the evening now.

"Just… Just help me clean up! Maybe he won't punish us for it!"

"I'm getting a new sister." Qrow yelped and rubbed his arm. "Ow! The hell was that for?!"

"Being a dick!" Raven snapped, shaking her fist before shoving the dishware into her brother's arms. "Bring those to the wash bins and make yourself useful!"

"Oh yeah? And what are you gonna do exactly?"

Raven's lips twitched as she tried to smile, fidgeting and feeling like dozens of eyes were watching her. Griffon was long gone but she swore the man was staring over her shoulder even now.

"I'm going to try and make sure we're not executed or something tomorrow!" By doing whatever in the hell was necessary. Clean up trash? Fix tents? Clean clothes? She'd scrub the entire camp with a hand brush if that's what it took.

Raven turned and came face to face with the camp's quartermaster, paling as he held out an empty bag and rake.

"Get scraping, runt. We don't need animals coming in looking for a free meal."

Large metal pots once filled with stew laid on their sides, their contents strewn all over the camp. She could see piles of it everywhere, clumps of bread, spilled platters, perfectly seared vegetables and meats everywhere. Her stomach growled and Raven realized how woefully little she'd eaten before the brawling began.

"Have reeds in your ear, girl? I said get cleaning!"

Raven stumbled from the hard boot to her rear, scowling at the old man before nodding and getting to work.

Getting singled out by Griffon sucked, although he hadn't assumed she'd started it. That was a relief. Shame about the sudden end to their family brawl though; eager jitters made her foot bounce, eyes lifting occasionally to see if anyone was going to try and get a cheap shot in.

On a raiding high one moment then throwing yourself into a pointless fight with your kinsmen the next. Then the fun came to a grinding halt with one order from the leader.

Not that anyone complained. Even if cleaning seemed arbitrary considering they'd be leaving by dawn. Not unless they wanted to be bait for Grimm.

Raven shook her head and smiled, kicking bits of food into the bag with her boot.

Madness with a side of chaos. Such was life in the Branwen tribe.

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**If you've made it this far... Hooray! Let me know what you thought, if you'd be so kind. Feedback is appreciated!**

**Also as a fair notice although this should be obvious, expect there to be some original characters. I've got a tribe to bring alive and we have zero canonical faces to use for it. Don't worry though, the focus is squarely on the twins, with characters sprinkled in here and there for the purpose of the story.**

**Here's to another silly ride together!**


	2. Chapter 2: Hunt

**Ooooh, a hunting we will go, a hunting we will go, thank god there's no copy-right, a hunting we will go!**

**Thank you, I'll be here all week!**

**Time for another episode of "My life as a Branwen". Starring angst, hotheadedness, and rocks.**

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"Our stores are beginning to run thin. We'll need fresh meat, and anything else you can find." Griffon, towering over the other senior members of the tribe, cast his gaze on the two parties gathered before them. "I want the first group to go north, towards the mountain and the river. If you can fish, fish, otherwise venison or something similar will do."

Raven glanced at the second group with a slight frown. Qrow looked back, raising his eyebrows before offering a shrug.

Despite her protests - mostly kept to herself since you didn't argue with the leader, not unless you wanted to be smacked, she and her brother had been split up. While not the worst thing in the world she loathed the idea of not being there for Qrow. Mistral's wilderness was unforgiving at the best of times. Brothers knew what might happen to him while out and about.

"The second group will head east. There's a town nearby." The name wasn't uttered, it didn't and never did matter. "Take some of our haul and sell it off, then buy medicine and supplies. Spices, whetstones if they have any. If there's enough Lien left over use it to buy food," Griffon directed, narrowing his eyes at Qrow. "No frivolous spending."

Not a big problem for herself but a disappointment for Qrow. Her brother always did have a wandering eye, whether that was for unnecessary goods or some company for the evening.

The wildness of Mistral's landscapes bled into its towns and cities too.

"Be back by tonight at the latest. Any longer and you'll forfeit your dinner for the day," their leader instructed. "Am I understood?"

A chorus of 'yes sir' sounded off and Raven sent another look at her brother. Knowing he'd be going into town instead of wandering through unprotected wilds was reassuring. Catching a worried look on her behalf she rolled her eyes, sending a smile that said 'Don't worry about me, idiot'.

Dismissed, and not a moment too soon as one of the tribe's elders began to argue about their chosen campsite, Raven led her team outside the stuffy, dim tent, parting from Qrow with a slight wave before turning to address her group.

"Will everyone be ready to leave in ten minutes?"

"Sheesh, you're not giving us any time to prepare, huh?"

Raven didn't spare the boy who complained a glance. Wiry like Qrow, though thinner, enough that her brother looked mountainous by comparison, he blew mousy brown bangs from his eyes and huffed, drawing an eye roll from Raven.

"Five minutes, Carob," she amended.

"Who died and put you in charge anyway?"

Leveling a pointed glare at Vato she crossed her arms and struck a defiant pose. "I did. Carob is too skittish to make decisions," her red eyes flickered to the boy before narrowing. "And you're too hotheaded."

"Bullshit. I'm not taking orders from you."

"V-Vato, we shouldn't argue…"

Vato blinked in surprise before turning to their fourth member, having seemingly forgotten already she was there. Raven had. "Are you suggesting we let her run things, Azalea?" He stepped closer to the young girl, towering over her with a sneer.

"N-No! I just… Um…" Blue eyes darted back and forth as Azalea hung her head, letting pink hair fall to hide her face. "I um…"

This was already off to a wonderful start. Not five feet from Griffon's tent and they were bickering. Impatient, Raven let out a long sigh before grabbing the back of Vato's shirt and pulling him back. "Just go get your things and let's move out. Unless you want Griffon at our throats?"

Vato scowled, pushing her hand away. The threat of their leader did the trick however and he stormed away, shouldering past other tribe members as he headed for his tent. Carob didn't waste any time in following after him, sending an unpleasant look her way before disappearing from sight.

Her brother had to be faring better than her, which was ironic. Raven almost laughed at the turn of fortunes until she noticed Azalea staring at her, wringing her hands together as her eyes flickered between Raven and the ground. Could the girl be any more hopeless?

"Speak if you're going to speak already," she pressed none too kindly. "Otherwise go get ready."

Azalea gaped, lips trembling before she bowed her head and scurried off, bouncing off the first person in her path. Raven groaned and rubbed her face before looking up at the blue, cloudless sky above, wondering what she had done to deserve this.

Either Qrow's team were all cowards, psychotic, or some combination of the two, or their Semblances had switched overnight.

Her and Qrow's tent sat on the edge of their new camp as usual, tucked away between a storehouse and a gradually erecting guard tower. The walls of camp had yet to be put up and so the rear of their 'home' faced the open wilderness. Disconcerting for anyone who wasn't accustomed to Mistral's unforgiving landscape. Any of the cowards who lived inside the walls of a city wouldn't last a day out here.

Raven smirked at her private moment of triumph, peeling back the flaps to her tent and stepping inside. Light poured in from a hole above, a loose flap of cloth dangling nearby to seal it in the event of rain. The heavy green and brown fabrics that made the walls allowed little light inside so she kept the flaps open, latching it in place with a thread of twine before stepping over Qrow's sleeping roll. By her pillow - a bag with spare clothing in it really, she retrieved her weapon. An odachi according to a smith they had visited once, perhaps as old as her if not older still. Granted to her by the quartermaster some six years ago. Likely pried from the corpse of some hapless villager before that.

It wasn't a great weapon by any stretch of the imagination. The scabbard, or saya, depending on where in Mistral you were, had chips along its length and blemishes; the lacquer finish on the wood had begun to fade, leaving pale blotches on the dark wood. Raven drew the blade, eyes roaming over the familiar nicks in the blade, making a mental note of a new one as she inspected the black blade.

Her gauntlets she took from a small chest, strapping them on her forearms and monetarily inspecting the interlocking plates for damage. Digging through her not-pillow she drew a red bandana, tossing her hair back before tying it off. Fighting with hair flying in your face was a nightmare.

Beyond her gauntlets and a leather belt around her abdomen Raven traveled light, favoring speed over protection. Taking a few Dust crystals for good measure and stowing them in a small travel pouch she exited her tent, wandering briefly before finding her group gathered at the lone gate.

Vato noticed her first, eyes roaming over her before sneering. Compared to her he sported an entire ensemble of leather and plate - mostly the former, with a wicked spiked mace hanging from his hip. Raven had to acknowledge she was impressed he got prepared as quickly as he did. _Though he probably had to have his mother dress him, _she mused, smirking at her private joke.

"Azalea, you're not going to bring anything else…?"

The meek girl shook her head and clutched a wooden staff closer to her chest. "N-No," she stammered, grey-blue robe swaying as she shuffled her feet.

"That's one surefire way to get yourself killed," Vato scoffed.

"Hey, come on Vato, be nice." Carob shrank back under the larger boy's stare, dropping his gaze and any semblance of dignity.

"And what the hell are you wearing?" Raven quirked an eyebrow as she was addressed. "Those aren't any different from your normal clothes. You three are idiots."

Were they now? Raven didn't think so. Sure, her leggings and boots hardly afford the protection that Vato's greaves or padded trousers might, but she could move much more swiftly. No reason to wear armor if you were never hit. The same could be said for her chestpiece too. Beyond all of that, they had their Aura to protect them. Even a child in their tribe had that much.

"I don't know, I think all this armor is compensating for something," she mused aloud, smirking as she cupped her own chin, inspecting Vato before her smirk widened into a taunting grin. "Afraid of your Aura failing, or trying to actually look imposing for once?"

"Look? How about we fight? I'll show you just how imposing I can be!"

Typical hot headed male. Raven laughed, dismissing the thought with a wave of her hand and refusing to even acknowledge the challenge besides. They had hunting to do; putting food in the bellies of their kinsmen was more important than one boy's fragile ego.

It probably didn't help that she was pressing his buttons, but hell if it wasn't entertaining.

"Um… Guys?" Raven and Vato both turned their heads when Carob spoke up. The lanky boy pointed towards the center of camp. The moment they realized Griffon was there, staring impatiently as they lingered, the group went deathly silent and made way for the gates.

The guards let them out without so much as a second glance. Qrow and his team looked to be long gone and Raven couldn't find any trace of them as she scanned the outskirts of camp.

_He'll be fine. He's going to town after all. At worst they'll get some angry townsfolk shouting insults at them. _Insults which she'd return readily and eagerly. In that respect Qrow was more suited for dealing with people without a doubt. _Meanwhile…_

Vato was already snapping at Carob to straighten up and 'try to look like a man'. Azalea lingered somewhere between the boys and her, glancing between them with a fretful uncertainty. Raven rolled her eyes, putting a hand on the younger girl's back and ushering her forward.

Qrow got to galavant around town while she was stuck on babysitting duty.

That fucker was going to have to apologize for dumping his Semblance on her later.

/+/+/+/+/+/

What was more fitting a label for Mistral's landscape? Wilderness? Wilds?

Wasteland?

Depended on where you went, Raven supposed. A kingdom as large as Mistral's, on a continent as expansive and unruly as Anima, it was no surprise that the region had everything from sprawling, developed cities to more crime-ridden hovels and everything in between.

Pausing on their trek through the forest Raven admired the ruins of a small settlement long since overtaken by nature. Trees split a house in two, the others covered in more vines than shingles, and moss and lichen painting grey stone brick green and pale blues.

It was a haven for those searching for freedom and a curse for those just trying to get by.

For a tribe like the Branwens it was a buffet all to themselves.

Since the ruined town wouldn't have any food left by now they ignored the ruins entirely in favor of following a faint path. Small game scurried about in the forest as they walked; squirrels raced up trees and disappeared into knotholes while birds soared high above, filling the warm Mistralian summer air with their melodic tunes. Aside from an occasional snake or rabbit, and countless, _countless_ insects there wasn't much worth chasing after.

They would need deer or some equally big-game to serve their needs. Even a single buck would fill most of the tribe's bellies for a day. Two or three would provide meals for almost a week. Muscle, innards - anything remotely edible really, they'd use every part of the animals they slew.

Pickiness didn't really have a place out here.

Raven held up a hand and the group stopped at once. Around them wild grass rustled without wind, blades twitching and parting around some concealed animal. Four sets of eyes trained on the spot and her hand slowly moved for her blade, easing it from its scabbard a hair but not drawing it. Her muscles tensed in anticipation, licking her lips as her legs bundled with unspent energy.

A lone rabbit hopped out of the brush, took one look at them, then squeaked in alarm and rushed back into coverage.

"Oh come on…" Carob whined, lowering his daggers and hanging his head. "I thought for sure we'd find something by now…"

"This is getting ridiculous. We've already been out here for two hours and we haven't seen a single deer." Vato scowled and kicked a rock, causing Azalea to flinch as it rebounded off a tree. "Where the hell are they?"

That was the question wasn't it? Migrated? No, it was too early in the year for that. The weather wasn't bad either so they weren't seeking shelter somewhere. Raven admitted she might not know the area as well as she'd have liked but she had a good idea of deer and their behaviors. They would roam the forest for food or just to get to wherever their next resting place would be. Animals, not unlike people, had patterns if you knew where to look.

Which made the anomalous lack of deer so far concerning.

"Maybe there's a predator in this forest…?"

Azalea whined behind her. "P-Predator?"

"Probably a wolf or something, maybe a pack," Raven went on, nodding and frightening the skittish girl further. "But even then we'd have seen them by now, or heard them. Maybe it's a mountain lion?"

"Maybe they're scared by the smell of Azalea shitting herself," Vato offered.

"Vato…" Carob gave Azalea an apologetic look before holding his hands up. "Can't we just give it a rest already?"

"They sent out a non-combatant on a hunting mission! Why the hell would Griffon think that's a good idea?"

"Because unlike us she's trained to know what plants are safe to eat, and which will kill us." Raven rolled her eyes. Why did they need to have this conversation a fifth time? "I'd rather have her here to help than bring back some herb that'll give everyone dysentery."

"Y-You don't actually get dysentery from plants…"

Raven shot the girl a 'not now' look before sheathing her blade. "Look, if you're so determined to be a pain in the ass then go search on your own. Club a few does or something if it makes you feel better."

Vato scoffed, then turned his expression into a snide grin. "You're saying I don't have to babysit you three anymore?"

"I thought I wasn't the leader?"

"You're not," the bullheaded boy laughed. "But this way I won't get ratted out for leaving you. I'll go find food myself. I can work way faster alone anyways."

"Er… I don't know if splitting up is such a good idea."

"Why not, Carob?" Raven asked, putting a hand up to cut the lanky boy off. "Go ahead, Vato. Head back to the ruins we passed when you're done, we'll meet up there when we're done."

Was splitting up a bad idea? Probably. They were in a new area of Mistral which, while not unlike their previous site, was completely alien in its layout. Did Raven care in the slightest? Her wave as Vato turned heel and marched away suggested not. She was just as glad to be rid of him as he was of them. Hell, she'd bet she was happier to be through with him than he was of her.

Expressing her displeasure with a soft whine Azalea took one step towards the departing boy before shuffling in place, turning back to her and Carob with a slight frown. "We shouldn't split up…"

"Well, you're going to hate this next part then. Carob, you and Azalea go ahead and find whatever you can. Rabbit or squirrel if that's all there is, and some herbs while you're at it." A stew wouldn't be the worst meal, and while venison could feed more with a single deer killed enough smaller animals would make up for it.

"You're not in charge, Raven," Carob argued weakly. Raven took a single step towards him and he jumped back.

"Stick together, and keep Azalea safe. If you think you can win, fight. Otherwise run. No sense in getting killed fighting a wild animal for some food." The pink-haired girl blanched while the mousy dual-wielder huffed in protest. "Azalea isn't a fighter. Much as I hate to admit it, Vato was right about that," her eyes went to the despondent girl. "You're a cook, so do what you do best and find us some good food. Carob will keep you safe."

"Yes, Raven…"

She didn't know what bothered her more: Vato's stubbornness or Azalea's lack thereof. At least Carob showed inklings of a spine… Only to swallow his pride the moment anyone confronted him.

She really did get stuck with the crappier group.

Only too glad to be rid of them even if temporarily Raven waved the pair off before continuing ahead. Once they were gone from sight she let out a groan loud enough to scare away a small flock of birds, hanging her head and pulling at her hair. What did she do to deserve this? She could understand Vato being sent out to hunt. As insufferable as he was at least he could fight. Carob was a guard at best, and Azalea… The highlight of her life would probably be becoming someone's midwife.

That wasn't a hunting party, that was a dysfunctional clusterfuck just waiting to go awry.

On one hand Raven got it. Dragging the toe of her boot through the dirt she scanned the forest before leaving the remnants of the trail in favor of the unchecked forest. Carob needed the experience and Azalea was meek, too meek really. Even a cook had to travel beyond the safety of the camps now and again. Only those too young, too sick, or the elderly were excluded from hunts.

Why did she have to get stuck with them though? Qrow could at least fake charisma and get along with most people. All she wanted to do was break Vato's nose and yell at Azalea and Carob until she went hoarse.

Splitting up then was just as much for her benefit as the tribe's.

In hindsight it was kind of a daft move. What would she do if she did find a herd of deer on her own? She was quick enough to chase and kill them, sure, but then what about carrying them back? At best she could take one, maybe two, and it would be painstakingly slow going at that. Vato, with all his musclebound fatheadedness, could carry far more, far easier.

Raven slid down a small embankment and sighed, plucking a stray leaf from her hair and flicking it away. Over a fallen tree, cutting through a shallow stream, she wandered about, occasionally drawing her sword to mark a tree with an 'X'. Plenty of birds, more small animals, yet no deer. She paused when she encountered a skunk wandering about, considered it, then shook her head. Even if she killed the thing it probably wouldn't taste great. Not to mention the smell.

Maybe she should look for a farm or a field? If she could find some cattle and slay even one that would be a great meal for the tribe. Sure, getting it back would be a nightmare; the small embankment she'd slid down would become an insurmountable mountain with a several-hundred pound animal in tow. Still, the idea was almost tempting enough for her to start searching.

Going by the sun's position she estimated another hour had passed before she finally found promising signs. Bushes had been turned into a snack with branches bare and leaves chewed on. Hooves left telltale indentations in the soft forest floor, and as Raven knelt down to examine the bushes she found tufts of white and brown fur on the branches. Grinning ear to ear she searched for a trail and found it, minding her steps as she followed the path made by the deer. Without the footprints or the occasional tufts of fur against trees or stuck in briars she'd never have known they had passed through.

At long last she had them. The trees thinned and tall grass grew in their place, blades of pale-green swaying in the wind, ruffling, rising and falling like ocean waves. Before she'd even gotten anywhere near the field Raven saw them stood out among the sea of green, whistling appreciatively at the sizable buck that stood watch over its herd.

Long-haired and speckled with white among a caramel coat, Raven admired the sheer size of the animal, eyes drifting to its antlers. A careless hunter could easily meet their demise at the ends of those. She was anything but.

Crouching at the edge of the field she rolled her tongue against her cheek. Slay the buck and the rest of the herd would flee. Kill a doe or two and she might incur the buck's wrath but it would be easier to carry back. She could cut up her kill too but then that would mean being covered in blood. Blood meant attracting predators and she really didn't feel like fighting the entire way home.

Kill the buck then. A quick cut to the throat, let it bleed out, then drag it back with her. The rest of the herd would probably die as a result of her actions. Oh well, that was nature. It didn't care whether you were dealt a fair hand or not. Raven slid her sword from its scabbard, twisting her wrist and sliding one leg back, preparing to bolt forward.

Nature only cared if you were strong. And right now she was feeling pretty damned strong.

The howl that chilled her bones might have something to say to that. The entire herd perked up immediately and the buck made a call, something between a bleat and a hiss. She saw the grass around the herd shift and black streaks rise and fall beneath the blades of grass. Her jaw clenched and she cursed, lowering herself again as the deer were thrown into a frenzied panic.

It didn't last long. The buck reared its head only for the very same head to fly through the air, spattering the grass with blood. Bloody chunks of another rained down on the herd and the deer tried to break away in a mad dash for safety.

The Grimm weren't having any of that. The blackened beasts encircled the frantic herd in seconds and began to tear them to ribbons. Frightened bleats and cries filled the air and Raven remained as immobile as a stone, forcing herself to watch the Grimm do their best at reducing the once lively animals to unrecognizable chunks of flesh and bone.

Grimm didn't hunt. They didn't eat, or rest. They weren't natural. That made the irony of the herd's demise all the more sour.

Raven would have let them live with one or two slain in the name of food. The entire herd instead died at the hands - or claws of the Grimm. All for meandering into their territory.

Keeping low she began to edge back from the field, eyes trained squarely on the pack of Beowolves. They lifted their heads and sniffed the air, dark purple-red tongues lolling out of their mouths, lapping at the air and howling. Damn them for depriving her of a meal. Damn them for forcing her to retreat.

Something behind her huffed and she froze, hairs on her neck prickling. A low growl made her hand edge towards her sword and she glanced over her shoulder, staring at the Beowolf only a few feet away.

Damn them for being so sneaky.

The lone beast roared and lunged at her. A single one was child's play and she ducked, dropping to her knees and lifting her sword. The tip pierced its unprotected underbelly and she held firm, both hands gripping the rayskin handle, gritting her teeth as her arms trembled. The Beowolf released a sound not unlike a whimper before crashing into the ground behind her, rolling and promptly beginning to turn to smoke.

Any joviality Raven felt was short lived when the rest of the pack turned on her. As if her situation hadn't been dire enough already an Alpha stood at the center of the group, towering over the others on its hind legs. She was certain the beasts couldn't smile but she swore it did in that moment, cocking its lead and licking its jowls.

Raven turned and began to run long before it unleashed its blood curdling howl.

Trees turned into indepiherable brown blurs as she darted between them. Heart working overtime, her lungs burned as they labored to provide her body with much needed oxygen, adrenaline surging. Even with her speed she could hear them behind her; far, but not far enough that she'd lose them.

Grimm didn't tire. She would. Once they had a target in mind they'd pursue endlessly which meant fleeing was tantamount to suicide. She'd only die in a different place, exhausted and unable to defend herself.

Digging into her pouch she drew the first of her Dust crystals. Unrefined ice. One look over her shoulder and she saw the pack in hot pursuit, the Alpha barreling ahead of the group. Cursing, she leapt over a fallen tree and found the trunk of another, heart pounding in her ears as she forced her jittery legs to stop moving. She waited, counted, letting the Grimm come closer and closer. When she could make out individual hairs on their black frames she smashed the Dust against the tree trunk.

Ice exploded. Jagged spikes erupted from the tree, engulfing the bark and jutting out. The Alpha wasted little time and jumped over the protrusion, giving chase as Raven had already begun to run again. It's followers weren't as quick witted. One ran headlong into the spikes and skewered itself, its dying howls drowned out by the frustrated roars of its brethren. Another ran into the wall of ice only to be crushed by those behind it, its fading body acting as a battering ram for those remaining to break through.

Jumping from the ground to a tree Raven caught a low branch, swinging herself forward and catching another. The world inverted and she landed on another outstretched limb, pausing a split second for balance before leaping from tree to tree.

For this reason and this alone she was glad the others were gone. Vato never would have kept up. Carob? Maybe. Azalea would have been dead at the field.

Below her the Alpha kept pace, either barreling through plants or navigating itself through with startling grace. Raven clicked her tongue and looked ahead for another trap, some way to make use of the landscape. A narrow pass scarred into the ground would do just fine.

Jumping from her perch she rolled the moment her feet hit the ground, free hand reaching out to catch herself before taking off again. A fresh chorus of howls sounded off behind her and she pulled an Earth Dust shard free, turning it over in her fingers as she neared the pass. Hardly wide enough for the Grimm, but just wide enough that maybe the Alpha would try it, she cut through vines and darted inside.

Roots jutted out, splitting rock and curling out, then back into the ground, rotting looming trees in place. Moss and rotted leaves gave the space a fetid odor and Raven resisted the urge to gag as she happened across a rotting carcass, sending a cloud of flies scattering.

After cutting through another series of vines she skidded to a halt, turning to find the Alpha gone but the others giving chase. Taking her victories where she could she looked for a stone she could use and found one easily, dropping the Earth Dust at her feet and stepping back. Again she counted, body twitching with a nervous excitement. Once the last of the pack entered the passage she lobbed the rock into the air, turned, and made a mad run for the opposite end.

The ground rumbling was the first sign that her plan had worked. Without looking back, she could hear roots being torn free as the earth itself was disfigured, marred by the sudden explosion of energy. Stone erupted from the ground and formed a wall that the Beowolf crashed into, blocked off or dying from the impact. Above them the ground began to cave in, stone and trees alike falling down, crushing them underneath. Half the passage became buried within seconds, a tomb for beasts whose corpses would disappear not long after.

Raven broke free through a cloud of dust, coughing and gasping at the fresher air.

Where was the Alpha?

Slowing her pace as her chest threatened to explode she scanned the immediate area. Nowhere could she see the familiar black beast, not waiting above the exit for her, nor anywhere among the trees. It wasn't _in _the trees either, although she doubted a Beowolf would ever climb one.

Where was it?

Raven swallowed dryly, kicking herself for not having brought any water. She could double back to the stream, drink some of that. She had Fire Dust, boiling it would be -

A shrill scream made her freeze, blood running cold as the ice left back by the field. Another scream, less feminine than the first, then silence. Deafening silence where even the local wildlife didn't dare to make so much as a peep, where even the wind itself refused to blow and disturb the deathly stillness over the forest.

A third scream, the same as the first, made her head snap in its direction. The howl that followed had her legs pumping and she ignored the burn in her calves as she rushed towards the source.

No one else was in these forests besides them. Those screams had been a boy and a girl. Vato was on his own…

She pushed harder, anger and a swelling feeling of dread making her chest tighten.

_Carob! Azalea! Hang on!_

Another howl erupted nearby and no cry followed it. Raven's heart sank and she kept running.

/+/+/+/+/+/

Would she find someone to save or bodies to bury?

One Dust crystal remaining. No medicine. If someone was injured…

She'd cross that bridge when they got to it.

The Alpha howled again. It was closer, close enough that she expected to happen upon it at any moment. The forest was entirely unfamiliar to her. Every tree looked the same, every turn of her head distorting her sense of direction until an inevitable howl righted her course. She had to be close. She had to be -

"Someone help me!"

There! Raven burst through undergrowth, cleaving a low hanging limb in two and leaping over a fallen tree, skidding to a halt as she came face to face with the Alpha and Carob.

Or what was left of him anyways.

Laid on the forest floor unmoving the boy stared back, one eye glassy and blank, the other a bloodied mess, skull crushed under what must have been a massive blow. Everything below his waist was gone…

There was no time to retch, or grieve. Her stomach threatened to spill over when the Alpha turned, one of Carob's legs dangling from its teeth. Not chewed, Grimm didn't eat, just torn and held like a plaything. It discarded its trophy without a second thought and turned on her, its hulking frame bursting with malice, startling muscle beneath thick matted fur dark as a moonless night.

"Raven?! Help! It g-got Carob! It killed him!"

No shit, she could see that. Taking a half step back she tightened her grip on her blade, slowly circling around the Alpha. If it attacked her she'd dodge, use the environment and find a way to trap it. Limit its size and strength. She could beat it if she was smart. She'd die if she wasn't.

But the Alpha didn't move. It lapped at the blood on its jowls and rolled its shoulders. A low, guttural sound shook its chest and the Grimm. Two daggers stuck out from its body, buried to the grip but of little consequence. It stared for a moment as though making a decision before snuffing, turning and returning to its previous target.

Azalea screamed in terror and the Grimm lunged at the rock, tearing into stone and throwing bits and pieces aside. Raven didn't know how deep the crevice ran or what condition Azalea was in: better than Carob but that wasn't saying much. Gritting her teeth she grabbed the nearest rock she could find and lobbed it at the Beowolf's head. It connected with a satisfying thud and she grinned as it stopped its assault, turning to eye her instead.

"That's it, that's a good boy. Come on, you furry fuck…" She twirled her sword and gestured for the Grimm to come closer. "Bring it on. Pick on something with teeth."

The Grimm obliged. With a howl that sent spittle and blood spilling out it twisted its body around and lunged, clearing a startling distance in one fell swoop. Raven ducked beneath an outstretched claw and rolled, kicking off the ground to back away from another swing. Jaws narrowly clamped down on her shoulder and she bat aside another swipe, raking her sword across the Grimm's shoulder.

The blade failed to cut through and scored a superficial wound. Startled by her pitiful attack she ducked again, backpedaled from another swing, and wove between a slash and bite, striking the Beowolf's chest. Her blade bit into flesh and, much to her horror, stuck. Before she could pull it free a claw grabbed her leg and swept her off her feet.

Her back hit the ground and air rushed from her lungs. Drool globbed on her face as the Beowolf leered down at her, snapping its jaws furiously at her face. With her hand against the flat of her weapon she pressed the blade into its mouth, arms trembling as she pushed back against the creature.

Where was Vato?! How hadn't he heard the noise and come running yet? Rancid breath and the thick smell of blood filled her nostrils and tears prickled at her eyes, gagging but refusing to take her eyes from the Grimm for even a second.

"Azalea! Little help!"

The cook kept well hidden in her little hole. Cursing her fortunes Raven pushed back with a scream, forcing the Beowolf's head back enough that she could actually breath. Against common sense she released her weapon and slid under the Grimm, grabbing Carob's daggers as she went. The Alpha slammed its head against the ground and growled, shaking her sword before casting it aside. Rounding on her again it bellowed, rearing up and charging headlong.

If her sword was ineffective then the daggers were absolutely useless. Her legs quaked, breath coming in startled, nerve-ridden gasps, and she couldn't make her damn hands stop sweating!

_Fight!_

She dodged another blow, dancing around the Grimm but not striking back. One of its hind legs kicked out unexpectedly and only her reflexes saved her, crossing the daggers and absorbing the brunt of the hit. Her feet slid along the ground and she scrambled away from another lunge.

_Fight, you coward!_

She didn't have a Semblance for combat. As unruly as Qrow's was at least that could help him fight. At best she could make a portal and flee with Azalea.

Only if she had her sword, and the time to create the portal besides.

Right now she had neither.

The Alpha's body shook and it unleashed another thundering roar, one so loud Raven's ears rang and she cringed, one eye closing as she struggled to not cover her ears. It was enough to make her drop her guard for a split second and the Grimm capitalized, silencing itself and lunging again. With a claw inches from her face she leaned, hissing in pain as razor sharp nails raked against her skin, her Aura failing to absorb the blow entirely. Warmth pooled at her shoulder and she screamed in anger, swinging a dagger and burying it in the Alpha's eye.

Her feet left the ground as a claw slammed into her stomach, launching her back. One dagger remained in the beasts' eye, the other clattering free from her hand. In a desperate scramble she grabbed it again, gripped the blade, and doing her best impression of Griffon, sent it hurtling at the Grimm.

The handle struck its shoulder and bounced off harmlessly.

Fortunately her sword was within arm's reach. Unfortunately the Grimm, having already been furious with her to begin with and now boasting an even better reason to want her dead, wasn't far off either. Raven's fingers barely wrapped around her weapon's grip when she felt hot fetid breath on her neck. Rolling aside she swung out blindly and sneered as her blade cut into the Beowolf's arm, scoring a deeper blow than before and making it stagger back.

Still not enough to truly kill it. Either her blade was complete ass or the Alpha was tougher than normal variants. Probably both. The smoke pouring from its wounds was reassuring only in the fact it meant she could injure it.

But papercuts weren't going to kill a beast of that size.

Still no Vato. Azalea was either dead or petrified and incapable of helping her. She deliberated for a split second fleeing by a portal before shirking the idea entirely. Not only was abandoning another tribe member out of the question but she'd probably be killed for doing so, or at best exiled as a coward and traitor.

"Fighting it is then…" she muttered, taking a few healthy gasps to try and settle her breathing. Not that the Alpha was giving her much chance to rest. Between running from the Grimm to chasing this one down she was already ragged. And of course the Grimm didn't tire, a fact that incessantly bothered her to no end.

Again it came for her. The beast might be more intelligent but it was still just that: a beast. Wide sweeping strikes and the occasional snap of its jaws were all she had to worry about. It would also only take one or two good hits to potentially cripple her. Any more would likely kill her.

Raven stumbled back after absorbing a hit with her sword and caught a glimpse of Carob's corpse, dirt turned dark crimson as blood seeped into the soil, innards… Gods…

No way in hell was she ending up like that.

She pressed her attack and stepped into a swipe, surprising the Grimm as her sword cut into its chest. It howled, finally feeling pain, and Raven dropped her sword, reversed her grip, and cut deep into its thigh. The Alpha swayed on its feet and she darted aside as it brought its weight down upon her, cutting beneath its arm. Not enough to sever the limb but enough to limit its mobility.

_Fucking rusty blade! _She easily stepped back from an errant swipe, feinting left then darting right, circling around the Grimm and cutting its hip, trying to drag the blade through and cursing when it caught again. Pulling it free she sneered as the Grimm roared at her, twisting its lumbering body and shaking with fury.

"I'm not afraid of you!" she howled back, eyes flitting to Azalea's hiding spot before crouching, darting forward and thrusting her katana at the Grimm's chest. "Die!"

The blade struck the Grimm's forearm and ran through, stopping short. Raven lurched forward at the sudden halt and grabbed the handle with both hands, shouting and pulling it downward to sever the limb.

Metal snapped and she fell forward, jaw slack at her weightlessness. She hit the ground with a grunt and looked at her weapon, a nearly three foot blade reduced to less than a third of its length. More crumbled away at the tip and she was left with barely more than Carob's daggers.

A foot slammed into her back and she cried out, wheezing and pushing to get herself free. Nails pierced her Aura and her face contorted as agony rippled along her back, claws raking against her armor. The wounds wouldn't kill her but that didn't mean it didn't hurt like hell. Ignoring the pain exploding in her back she scrambled through the Beowolf's legs, turning and kicking at the back of one to bring it to kneel.

Raven jumped from a crouch and landed on the Grimm's back, grabbing a fistful of fur and clambering up its back. The Beowolf began to shake side to side violently, slamming Raven against its back as it thrashed about. With each collision sending a fresh jolt of pain through her body she held firm, pulled herself higher, and spun the remains of her sword.

"Die!"

She drove the sword down in the Beowolf's neck once, then pulled it free and did so again. And again. And again. The Alpha continued to trash about, her blows, if they had any effect at all, failing to kill it. The blade was too short to score a killing blow. Her arms burned as she struggled to remain on its back, digging her feet against its body for extra support. Azalea screamed for her but the words were drowned out in another howl. As close as she was to the beast it was like standing beside a speeding train. Her ears felt like they might explode and every organ in her body felt like it might burst.

The Beowolf turned its head and snapped at her hand, nearly taking it off. Raven left her sword in its neck and cursed, wrapping her arms around its neck and clinging like her life depended on it. Chances were it did. The beast continued to thrash, trying and failing to reach back and attack her. Just barely. One of its nails snagged in her hair and she hissed as her head was jerked aside, pulling it free and snarling right back at the frothing beast.

Its jaws snapped at her again and she glared right back at its baleful eye, the lone one remaining.

"Hungry?!" It already ate Carob, what the hell more did it want?

Wait…

Raven dug her heels in and rifled through her pouch until she found a familiar crystal. Red as her eyes the Dust glimmered, untapped energy ready to be released. It made wonderful tinder, fire Dust, and wasn't half bad as an energy source either.

The Beowolf snarled again and opened its mouth, snapping at her once again. Raven sneered and shoved her hand in the creatures mouth, down its throat, pulling it free in the nick of time. Pulling her sword free as she fell from the Grimm's back she braced for another strike, absorbing the blow with her Aura and driving her sword into its neck.

It made a wonderful explosive too.

She heard the metal strike stone. She saw the red flash through the Grimm's midnight fur.

Its mouth opened as if to roar and smoke poured out, followed by sparks. Raven abandoned her weapon and rushed back as the Beowolf clawed at its head before flames erupted from its throat, engulfing its head in an instant. A sharp crack, then a low hiss, and the Grimm swung its arms in a futile effort to attack her.

Its head exploded a second after, flames erupting from its neck and engulfing the body as it collapsed to the ground.

Raven almost expected it to rise again. It wasn't until the telltale black mist began to spill from its corpse that she relaxed, slouching forward and hanging her head. Aura coursed through her body and she could feel the wounds on her back mending, a not unpleasant heat licking at her skin as it went to work.

Finally dead. She'd laugh if she wasn't so out of breath. Aura did wonders at mending wounds: it did little for fatigue. Doubling over with her hands on her knees she gulped in air, coughing, throat arid and aching for liquid of any kind.

Frantic footsteps made her heart drop and for a second she feared another Grimm had arrived. Azalea barreled into her and she stepped back, barely keeping upright as the girl embraced her. Between sobs and choking gasps she tried to talk, every word coming out in an unintelligible mess.

Having neither the energy to tell her off nor the desire to do so Raven just stood there, looking again at Carob's body, or what remained of it, before turning her eyes skyward. The clear blue sky without a cloud stared back, calm and indifferent. Without the sounds of Grimm filling the air the songs of birds returned. If not for Azalea's desperate cries she might have lost herself in the strangeness of the moment. The world was so… Peaceful. Uncaring about what just happened.

She had to smile, unspent adrenaline leaving her body in a shuddering sigh as her hands gripped Azalea's shoulders, neither pushing her away nor embracing her, simply letting the girl be.

The strong lived.

Carob had fought and died.

The weak died.

Azalea shook like a leaf in a storm, her cries a vivid reminder that she still remained.

Vato was… Somewhere. Gone. Dead, most likely.

Nature didn't care. Nature didn't make sense.

Life was a lot like nature.

* * *

**So, a confession here. I wanted Raven to be able to kill Grimm with relative ease... In unconventional ways, hence the Dust crystals. She's not strong enough to fight them outright as a pack, but she's been trained to deal with them her own way. I hate Grimm being fodder, especially for someone not a Huntsman in training, but then they're living in harsh conditions so she _should _know how to fight them at least somewhat. **

**Carob, we hardly knew ye, Mr. Plot Device. **

**Anyways thanks for reading. I'm sure this chapter will be 100% self contained and nothing will come of it. **


	3. Chapter 3: The Tribe

**Surprise, this story isn't dead!**

**I wasn't too sure on juggling this and Weight of a Name, especially since the latter tends to be 10k+ words per chapter on average. Keeping this story shorter per entry though - 4-6k words roughly, makes it way more manageable.**

**So, here's to hoping, and apologies it took so dang long!**

* * *

Strength was all that mattered.

To an outside observer the tribe's mantra was woefully simplistic. Most assumed they meant physical strength. The ability to fight, to carry heavy loads, the power to train and to grow as a warrior. It was an important strength, yes, but not the only kind.

Carob's funeral went as so many often did. By the same evening that Raven had returned with Azalea a party had been sent back out to retrieve the boy's remains. It wasn't nearly enough to fill a grave, shallow or otherwise, but the bloodied, sundered remains were returned, nonetheless. And as flames engulfed what was left of one of the tribe's youths Raven watched the flames engulf flesh, forcing herself to watch as the final remnants of one of her kin was returned to the earth.

There was strength in being able to face your fear head on. Raven had been fearful, of that there was no doubt. She'd been terrified when she stumbled upon a pack of Beowolves, borderline paralyzed by fear when confronted with the Alpha of the pack, yet she'd fought. She was strong enough to battle through her fear, then strong enough to guide Azalea - the lone remaining member of her party - back to their camp.

Strength in fortitude. Strength in taking responsibility for failures. As Griffon had been so quick to point out upon their return, as bloody and exhausted as they were, she had most certainly failed.

"_You have returned, but half your party has not."_ Raven rubbed the welt on her cheek, wincing. He never held back when disciplining them, no matter their age or sex. Aura only helped mitigate so much. _"Go. See a healer then rest. We'll see the boy sent off at dusk."_

And there they were, grouped together, some fifty people strong, gathered around a stone slab as Carob was sent to the afterlife. He'd gone much earlier than their ceremony, minutes before Raven had even found him and Azalea, but the symbolic gesture brought some measure of comfort. For as animalistic and brutal as the tribe could be they possessed a strength unto themselves.

The strength of unity. Their life was harsh, their laws strict, and few if any allowances were made for failure. Yet if one needed aid they would find a multitude of hands extended. No one went hungry, the sick were given the best care possible, and children were raised as a group effort. It was why despite their sometimes-cruel treatment so few people ever left. Or maybe they were just so beyond broken, so inundated to it, that they welcomed whatever Griffon and the other senior members doled out, good and bad.

As the flames died down and the crowd had long since dispersed Raven felt a comfortable numbness take hold. With a memorial meal finished before the ceremony there was little left for people, or her. She had grieved, shouted at herself, sulked, but now it was settled. Carob was dead, Vato was gone, Azalea all but comatose in a state of shock, but it was done.

No doubt Griffon would have more to say on the matter. She'd probably get a shitty patrol route, latrine duty, or be made to do some menial tasks for a week or two but that was fine. It was what she deserved.

"Hey." Qrow's face stretched into a weary smile as his shoulder bumped hers. "You okay?"

Okay? She'd failed. One of theirs was dead, possibly two, and she hadn't even returned with much in the way of food for the tribe. "Fine."

Such a halfhearted response wasn't going to fool Qrow and she knew it. Batting aside her brother's hand she shook her head, eyes sliding past him to those still lingering. Carob's mother sat by the embers; head hung in silence. His father had died some few summers ago in a raid and it had only been the two of them. Now she had no one, save for the tribe.

Would it be enough? Raven tried not to think about it. For some it was. Others fell into despair, stopped eating or simply up and left in the middle of the night, never to be seen again.

"Rae!" Persistent as always Qrow hurried after her. Gods, couldn't he just fuck off for one day or take a hint? "Raven!" he called again, reaching out and catching her arm. She whirled around and he caught her wrist too, and she scowled as her hand hovered inches from his face.

"Fuck off, Qrow! I don't want to talk!"

"Yeah? Well guess what? I don't care." He held firm when she pulled, cursing when he avoided her kick. "I've gotta share a tent with you and I'm not doing that with you like this, got it?"

"Yeah? Well tough shit, brother. You'll just have to get used to it. Now let me go!"

Asking Qrow not to be a stubborn pain in her ass was like asking a fish not to swim; it came naturally to her brother. Much to her eternal shame a startled yelp slipped through her lips when she was lifted and slung over his shoulders, beating her fists against his back and kicking her legs in protest.

"Qrow! Let me go, you ass! I swear to gods!"

Ignored, she continued to strike at his back as she was carried. Past the communal tents used for dining, past the open-air yurt used for the tribe's healers, they moved along the shadows of the waning day, an orange sun glaring in her face. Despite her protests she was still weary from the day's events and couldn't break free. Her brother could be surprisingly strong when he wanted to, although she was loath to give him any credit even now.

Their own tent was towards the back of the camp, tucked away behind several others. Barely large enough for two, the amalgamation of hides and cloth was sealed when they arrived, leather straps tied snug. Qrow deftly undid the knots and threw the doorway open, stepping in before unceremoniously dropping her onto her sleeping roll.

"Ow!" Pain shot up her already taut back and she made to lunge for Qrow, scowling when he pushed her back with his foot. "Quit it!"

"Rae, you gotta calm down." Qrow knelt and before she realized it she'd been pulled into a hug. One of them started shaking, she wasn't sure which, and while she kept her arms limply against her sides she allowed her sides to lay her head on his shoulder. "It's alright, Raven. You're safe."

"The hell are you talking about?"

It was definitely Qrow shaking, not her. Nor was it her crying, although she reached up to check her cheeks just to be certain. Feeling a growing dampness on her shoulder she raised her arms, hesitant, before wrapping them around her brother. His grip tightened and it was Qrow's turn to hide his face.

"I thought you'd died," he croaked, voice barely a whisper. "I heard some didn't come back, that we were preparing a funeral. I thought…" He groaned, pulling her closer and shaking his head.

"Qrow, you fucking idiot." She smiled, closing her eyes as they threatened to well over. "I'm not going to die."

"You could have!"

"I didn't." She wasn't about to tell him how close she'd come, or how certain she'd been that the Alpha would tear her limb from limb like it had Carob. Instead she redoubled her embrace, patting his back and chuckling. "So s-stop being such a bitch, will you?"

"Shut up. You're the bitch."

After a playful jab she laughed, hugging her brother and wiping her eyes on his shoulder. "Pussy."

"Asshole."

Were other families like this too? Affectionately cursing at one another, killing together? Probably not. Raven doubted that the villages they raided routinely made a habit of pillaging and fighting. Hell, they were usually so soft, so woefully prepared for attacks that the only thing they probably fought with was which shirt to wear. If that's what other families were like then she preferred her own, messed up as it might be. And even when the tribe became too much, which was rare but it did happen, she always had Qrow to fall back on.

Except when he was being a baby.

"Qrow." She pushed his chest and they separated, wiping her eyes with her thumbs. The idiot sniffled and made a quick show of trying to dry his face but there was no hiding his red rimmed eyes, or the disgusting glob of snot that he snorted back up. "Hey, I'm okay, see?" she held her arms out to her sides. "All in one piece, just a little sore."

Qrow's lips quivered and he managed a smile. "Yeah, I can see that."

"You still cried, you wimp."

"I was worried!" Qrow snapped. He shoved her shoulder when she laughed again. "It's not like you don't cry too!"

"I don't! I'm not a baby!" Raven jeered.

"Oh yeah? What about the first time we had to do separate missions? Or when you used to cry every time there was a thunderstorm?" Qrow leaned in and smirked. "Or how about that time I pretended to drown, and you freaked out?"

Raven lobbed a pillow and growled. "Shut up! I was a kid!"

"The drowning thing was a year ago, Rae!"

"Yeah? Well how about I drag you outside and make good on it?"

Because her brother was forever a pain in her ass Qrow pulled a fish face, hands against his cheeks as gills. Raven deadpanned, glaring until she couldn't help herself. Laughter filled their tent and she batted him with another pillow, crawling away as her brother retaliated.

"Hey, seriously though." Qrow sat down beside her. "You okay, Raven? What happened in the forest, it wasn't your fault, you know that right?"

Logically she did know that. Vato, the pigheaded oaf, wandered off and got himself killed. Carob had never been much of a fighter, and Azalea was a fucking cook. Was she surprised someone died? No, not really. Drawing her knees to her chest Raven sighed, resting her chin on one. "It doesn't make it any easier, Qrow. Vato and I were the only ones who could realistically kill a Grimm. He disappeared, I stormed off to do my own thing."

"And you found Grimm."

"Yeah. Whole pack of Beowolves. Killed most of them but the Alpha…"

The Alpha left. It had been right on her heels and then vanished only to seek out Carob and Azalea. Why? Grimm sought out negativity, they would have homed in on her fear. They had. To make them leave and seek someone else out would mean their fear would have to be greater than Raven's own?

Her brow pinched, nails digging into her biceps. Something had to have drawn the Alpha off. Not that anyone knew what in the world had happened before she arrived; Carob was dead and Azalea hadn't spoken a word since they'd come back.

_Why? _She scowled, squeezing her arm until it ached. _What drew it off? I didn't kill it with the Dust, not unless there were two. That doesn't seem likely though._

"Rae," Qrow said, nudging her shoulder. "It'll be alright. Shit, my mission didn't exactly go off too well either, ya know."

"Oh? Let me guess, Semblance?"

Qrow sighed, nodding and laying back into his bed. "Yep. Sneaking through the storehouse and I knocked over a lamp. Thing wasn't even lit but somehow the whole place went up!" He made an explosion sound, throwing his hands up before dropping his arms. "Couldn't get anything out of it. Then Claudia took an arrow to the leg and had to carry her all the way back."

"Wow, definitely not your lucky day."

"No shit." Her own had been a lot worse; Qrow didn't have anyone killed. Raven supposed she appreciated the sentiment though, if only because it gave her some new material.

"I bet you could light water on fire, little brother," she teased, fetching her sleeping roll and laying it out beside his own.

"Oh, piss off. Even my luck isn't that bad!"

"Mhm."

"Hey!" Qrow rolled onto his side, propping himself on an elbow and frowning. "It's not! Come on, Rae, cut me a little slack here."

"Mmm. Nah." She snickered when he groaned. "Know what though? Tomorrow will be better!"

Qrow laid back down and folded his hands beneath his head. "Yeah? Why's that?"

"Because it's your turn tomorrow to wash the sleeping rolls. And I didn't bathe yet."

"Ugh, Raven!"

"Oh, and I'll need my clothes washed too. But I'm sure you can handle it."

"I thought you said my luck was going to get better!"

"No, I said tomorrow would be better. For me." Raven smirked, rolling over and putting her back to Qrow. "Goodnight, brother."

"Yeah, yeah. G'night."

Tomorrow would be better, she was sure. She hoped.

Hard to imagine it being much worse.

/+/+/+/+/+/

"This. Fucking. Sucks!"

Turns out she was wrong. Qrow's luck did take a turn for the better, marginally. Since he and his group had blundered through their mission they had been relegated to menial jobs. When the morning call rang out and everyone rose for their daily routines, she and her brother had waited for Griffon to assign tasks for the day. Qrow, as it turned out, would be helping the smiths with repairing their weapons. Arduous work but hardly the worst punishment.

Raven sputtered and resisted the growing urge to vomit. Water sloshed in the basin, dark and rancid, with specks of shit floating inside. Literal shit. As soon as she was far enough from the camp, she threw the bucket and coughed, fanning the air and taking greedy gulps after holding her breath.

Qrow got to repair weapons. Her? After she'd been made to wash dishes from last night she had been assigned to take out the camp's waste. All alone, and what's more she couldn't exactly carry the damned troughs out without help either. After digging around for something she could use she settled on a bucket no bigger than her head and began making trips back and forth, her sense of smell slowly dying step by step, bucket by bucket.

That had been an hour ago. The sun had only barely begun to peek on the horizon when she started and it just now finished climbing over the hills, painting the Mistralan wilderness in an early morning glow, chasing away chills of the night and revealing a fine layer of dew on every surface.

It might be a beautiful morning if she didn't have the absolute worst job in the world! Raven spat, shuddered, then started towards the bucket before hesitating. No one would miss it, right? It was just one bucket after all. One measly bucket. _And Isaac will notice you stole it, then he'll bitch to Kain, who'll complain to Griffon. _One of her eyebrows twitched and her shoulders sagged. _I just made this worse for myself, didn't I?_

With no way to clean the bucket out she carried it back at arm's length, being absolutely certain to keep it downwind from her. Isaac was still busy preparing a stew for the morning and had no idea when she returned his bucket, of that she made certain. With any luck he'd just think someone had been trashed and shit in it.

Except half the tribe had seen her lugging the bucket back and forth so that was moot.

_Whatever._ Raven grimaced and trudged off to her next task. _I'll just clean the fucking thing later. No big deal._

A blessing and a curse that the task hadn't taken her too long. While she was done with that foul business it was only to be the first of many jobs that day. Nothing else would be so disgusting, she imagined, which was the lone saving grace.

Up next was the exact job she'd tried to push off on Qrow: laundry. Tara and her mother oversaw that, usually, and enlisted the children of the tribe to help them out. Not today though, nope. Today she was their only help. Raven smiled bitterly as she slipped between tents, stepping over discarded containers and an older member sleeping between two tents. Tara and her mother, Ysa, were already hard at work when she arrived. Comfortably working beneath a canopy they moved as a well-oiled machine despite Tara's crippling injuries and Ysa's age. Already there were garments hung out to dry, albeit only a few. Many more still sat in a growing pile as people continued to bring their belongings by. Bedrolls, clothing, stolen pieces of cloth. Everything was cleaned regularly to prevent sickness from spreading.

Ysa saw her first and smiled, her wrinkled, sagging face barely able to move enough for it. A wiry, trembling hand motioned Raven over and she rolled her eyes, forcing a smile as she stepped under the overhang.

"Raven, dearie, so good of you to help us."

"My pleasure," she said through clenched teeth.

"She's being punished, mum. Don't act friendly with her."

Raven shot a glare at Tara that went ignored. _Well fuck you too. Someone sleep on the wrong side last night?_

"Now now, there's work to be done." Raven raised an eyebrow as bunched up cloth was dropped in her hand, lifting it up and unfurling it. She gagged and dropped the large undergarments on the ground and immediately began wiping her hands on her shirt. "Raven, you need to put those in the wash bin, dearie. Go on, Tara will show you how."

It was cleaning clothes, not exactly Dust science. Humoring the woman Raven knelt down beside the large bin, picking the article up between two fingers and holding it over the water.

"Just put it in and submerge it. You need to get it good and soaked," Tara explained. She set aside the shirt she was working on and offered a brush to Raven in her one remaining hand. "After you're done scrubbing it, rinse it in the other bin."

Grumbling, Raven dunked the underwear and closed her eyes as she began to scrub. "Don't they have machines for this crap?"

"Sure, if you have electricity. And running water."

"This is how we've always done things, dear," Ysa said, wringing out a pair of socks. "It takes a little longer, true, but it works just fine."

_It's inefficient. _Raven finished scrubbing, she thought, only for Tara to push her hand back under and shake her head. _Not to mention disgusting! Whose fat ass wears these things anyways?! If there's more of this crap._

She took one look at the pile of laundry, died a little inside, and began scrubbing more vigorously.

"That's better," Tara quipped, smirking while Raven tried to set her alight with her gaze alone. "One down, about a hundred more to go."

As it turned out Tara was off her mark. Raven didn't want to count, she had no desire to know how much filthy laundry they were being made to clean, but the mind-numbing repetition of her task didn't leave much else for her to do. One hundred and twenty-seven pieces later - socks, underwear, shits, pants, blankets, jackets, and one or two things she wished she'd never seen - they were done. Her hands were pale and looked an awful lot like Ysa's face. And worse still? The old hag and Tara left her alone to finish! Twice! By the time she hung the last garment out to dry they returned.

She drowned out Tara's hollow praise and Ysa's more earnest remarks, pushing past the former and heading to the camp's center to fetch herself a meal. It was the tail end of breakfast and only a few people lingered besides the cooks. Notably, as she got in line behind two other workers, she couldn't see Azalea anywhere. Hunger wasn't the only thing gnawing at her as she received her bowl, looking up to thank the cook and clamping her mouth closed.

"Enjoy your meal, Raven," Issac said. "Sorry if it isn't up to snuff, but one of my buckets went missin'. Couldn't make the broth right."

"Huh, that so?" Her eyes flickered down to her bowl, giving it a tentative sniff. There was a simple rule when it came to pissing off the cooks: don't. They wouldn't kill you for it, probably, but they certainly weren't above spiking your food to give you the runs for a week. "Looks great."

"Hn. Enjoy."

Maybe if she ate it fast enough there wouldn't be a chance of getting sick. No way Isaac would actually tamper with her food over one bucket, right? He had plenty! Raven met the cook's eyes once more and smiled awkwardly, taking a step back as he stared her down.

Usually she would take her time with a meal, enjoy it, however simple the fare might be. With both a schedule to keep and the potential of eating bad stew nagging at her she inhaled it as quickly as she could, leaning forward to keep broth from dripping on her. She barely tasted it, scarfing the dark concoction down in mere minutes. With her stomach somewhat filled she dumped her bowl off at the table nearby and thanked Isaac again, hurrying off before he had a chance to lay into her.

As the rest of the morning went it was rather uneventful. After her meal Raven reported to Hal and Ram, practiced tanners the tribe had long since brought into the folds. The brothers were already making headway into skinning freshly slain animals and preparing their skins when she arrived, greeting her with polite waves, blood caked knives in their hands. After a short time of cutting away sinew, dropping fat into buckets to burn, she brought slabs of meat to Quil, the tribe's premiere - and only - butcher. Pockmarked man, with cleaver in hand, merely nodded to Raven as he went about separating a deer's leg. With that deed done she moved on to the next.

Assist in making repairs to the walls. Transport firewood from the forest back into camp. Through the mundane, piddling chores she worked and by midafternoon, when her hands began to flake from carrying slabs of stone designated for a fire pit, she was finished.

Compared to the toil of training or the constant tension of a hunt or raid it was nothing, and though her muscles ached from labor it wasn't an unpleasant pain. After helping herself to lunch - a wooden plate consisting of freshly seared venison and roasted potato, carrot, and some kind of leafy abomination - Raven found a secluded spot in the shade of a watchtower and ate. Simple food, to be sure, but filling. All those laboring gathered around the camp's center to dine and she saw several of the people she'd spent the morning working with. Tara and her mother in the shadow of a large tent, escaping the increasingly warm sun. Hal, with his hands still red from blood, tore into his meal with a gusto, his brother nowhere to be seen.

The venison melted in her mouth, or maybe her hunger had been greater than she'd realized. Tearing apart the dark slab of meat she watched Qrow, caked in soot and oil, carry a pair of plates back towards the forges. Their eyes met and she waved, smiling, before watching him retreat past latecomers.

At least she was done, albeit Brothers only knew how long. While licking her fingers clean, she happened to glance up and her meal sank further into her gut. Griffon brushed past a group just returned from their scouting trip. He didn't say anything, but he did wave her over before cutting back the way he'd come. With one last longing look at the food still on her plate Raven hurried back to the cooks, dumping the remaining food into another pot - food for later - and hurrying after Griffon.

He still didn't speak to her as they cut through the camp and Raven didn't try to start a conversation either. Griffon didn't appear outwardly angry but that didn't mean she was safe; sometimes you'd be made an example of in front of the tribe and others you'd be brought into his tent and chewed out there instead.

With the chieftain's tent just ahead of them, twice as large as the next largest structure and set up upon a wooden platform, Raven swallowed heavily, sending one last passing glance towards the gathered members of her tribe. _Any chance someone wants to take the heat off me?_

Obviously, no one moved forward and Raven couldn't blame them. She waited, keeping her head up and eyes forward as Griffon opened the tent. Cooler air slipped out and her eyes struggled to adjust to the darker interior. Taking the unspoken order, she bit the inside of her cheek and stepped inside, pausing at the entrance to give her eyes time to adjust.

"Sit." Griffon passed her by and stood by a low round table tucked between a weapons rack and a faded dresser, stained finish peeling to give way to pale wood beneath.

Raven nodded, taking two steps towards an empty seat before noticing someone else was present. Her eyebrows shot up, then her eyes flickered to Griffon, confused.

"Sit, Raven," he repeated.

With another puzzled look she took the lone open chair and sank into it, hands in her lap as she stared at Azalea. The girl wouldn't meet her gaze still or even give so much as a greeting. Since earlier efforts to talk had led nowhere Raven left her be, nervously pawing at her skirt as she waited for Griffon to start whatever this was.

Their leader took his time, circling the table once with his hands behind his back. She didn't miss how he paused briefly by the weapon rack, admiring one of the more vicious battle axes on display before coming back around. When he made it back to her side of the table Raven dared to turn her head and ask what the purpose of the meeting was. A strong hand grabbed her shoulder and squeezed, and Raven clenched her jaw, facing forward again to try and hide the pain etched across her face.

"You've finished your duties for the day, Raven?"

She nodded, inhaling sharply through her nose when the grip on her tightened. "Yes sir."

"Good. I trust you understand you're being let off lightly. Considering what happened, how spectacularly your group failed, I should have you out on patrols every day for a week." Griffon's grip eased and she exhaled though did not pull away. The last thing she needed was to give him reason to seize her again. "Another matter has come to my attention however, and given your involvement, I thought it best to enlist your help."

"Help?" Raven turned her head just enough to see Griffon's stomach, not daring to lift her eyes. "Help with what, sir?"

"Azalea," he deferred instead, moving away and kneeling beside the other girl. "Go on, tell her what you told me. Can you do that?"

Azalea hesitated and lifted her head slowly, glancing at their leader and nodding. After shifting around in her seat and several failed attempts at speaking she lowered her head again, speaking in so low a tone that Raven had to lean in to even hear her.

"I, y-yes, I saw…" She licked her lips and her shoulders squared. "Carob, h-he… And Vato…"

To Raven's surprise Griffon reached out and pat Azalea's back, displaying a modicum of kindness she didn't think the man was even capable of. Maybe that just meant she was too often on his shit list and never got to see that side of him. It made sense he wasn't a total bastard, otherwise people wouldn't follow him. _Strength is important, but it's meaningless if no one wants you around, _she mused, watching as Azalea took several deep breaths. _He's only one man after all, no matter how powerful he might be._

Burying the jealousy that she felt, galled by her own disgusting weakness, Raven had little choice but to wait and listen. Thankfully it only took a moment for Azalea to compose herself enough to continue.

"When you l-left, Carob and I… We started l-looking for b-b-berries, anything we c-could eat. We figured we'd stay close to where… Where we separated, s-so when you or Vato came back you'd know where to find us." Azalea looked up and her eyes began to shimmer, trembling in her seat. "Vato came b-back before long, he… He couldn't find anything. We were going to come f-find you and then we heard the howls."

Silent again, Raven found herself leaning in as Azalea struggled to speak. It was frustrating to wait and she had absolutely no idea where any of this was going. There had to be a point to this otherwise she wouldn't have been brought in. Yet Griffon wasn't pressuring Azalea to hurry and if he wasn't then Raven sure as hell wouldn't.

"We didn't know what t-t-to do. Carob wanted to come and h-help you, but Vato…" Her eyes finally spilled over and she let out a silent sob, shaking her head. "Vato wanted to leave. He s-said if… If you died then you deserved it, that you were w-w-weak. He and Carob, they… They started to fight. I tried to make them stop!" she exclaimed, looking up at Raven fitfully. "I did! But they were shouting, a-and they took out their weapons. He didn't have a chance, Raven. C-Carob was never that good of a fighter! And it wasn't enough th-that he beat Carob bloody! When the B-B-Beowolf showed up he ran! Vato left us! He left us alone with that th-thing, and Carob…"

Azalea sank back into her chair and curled in on herself, hanging her head as a sob wracked her body. "Carob died t-trying to protect me. I c-c-couldn't fight, I just… I just watched while it… It… Oh god…"

With that the other girl devolved into a hysterical fit, bawling her eyes out and burying her face in her hands. Raven sat in silence, staring down at the swirling grains of the table. She'd known something had gone horribly wrong for things to end the way they had, but that? It made sense but she was almost reluctant to believe it. She didn't like Vato and he hated her in turn, that much was clear, but some part of her didn't want to believe he'd so willingly abandon his own tribe, his own family, to save himself like that.

_Does that mean he's alive? Where is he then? _She didn't look as Griffon collected Azalea and cradled her like a child, delivering her to someone waiting just outside his tent. _Why would he abandon them? They could have killed the Beowolf together. _

Griffon took Azalea's seat and tapped the table to draw her attention. "You understand what her story means, don't you? Vato has betrayed the tribe, betrayed his family. Were he here right now I would cut him down myself." Though the man's face was placid Raven didn't miss the pulsing vein in his neck, nor the anger burning in his eyes. "But he is not, and for all we know she has fled to a nearby town, if nature hasn't taken him already."

Raven hoped not. For someone to do what Vato had only to die to wolves was beyond insulting. Dead was dead, true, but they would have no peace if a pack of wolves got to him before they did.

"Raven," Griffon waited until she looked up. "You were wrongly accused, blamed for events that were not your doing. I was wrong." Her jaw dropped at the admission. "But I must make a demand of you here and now. I do not wish for the rest of the tribe to know. You understand why, don't you?"

She nodded. If the tribe knew what Vato had done then his family would be singled out and likely killed for it. Whoever doled out justice would in turn be killed, tensions would rise, and it would be a mess in no time.

"Discretion is key, and while I have others, I could send for this task I want to keep this knowledge private. As such, I will be sending you and your brother to track down Vato and bring him to justice. Am I understood?"

Raven bowed her head, closing her eyes. "Understood, sir."

"Good. Your brother has likely finished your new weapon by now. Find him, inform him that his work is finished for the day." Griffon rose from the chair and Raven hesitated before rising to meet him, craning her neck to look at the large man. "Collect your new blade and your brother, then return to your tent for rest. When night falls I will send someone to collect you two." He paced around the table, placing a hand on her shoulder more gently than before. "You will be provided a few days of rations, but beyond that you will receive no more help. I want you two to find the boy and, if he cannot be brought back alive, deal with him."

"Do we know why he did it, sir?" Raven couldn't help but ask.

"Does it matter? Cowardice, bitterness, whatever his reasoning was it does not change his crime. None of us are above the tribe's laws. Not me, nor you, and certainly not him." Griffon shook his head. "No. Ask him if you wish but I do not care why he did what he did. All I care about is that justice is delivered."

That much she could do. It was a sobering mission to kill one of their own but that was the way of things. Even with Vato's blatant betrayal Raven couldn't help but feel put off, if only slightly, for her grim task ahead.

Killing villagers or militiamen was one thing. They were strangers, nameless faces that only stood in their way. Whether she had gotten on with Vato or not was irrelevant; they grew up together, trained together. In every way but blood they were family, bound by a common creed more potent than anything that might run through their veins.

Vato had broken that and he needed to die, that she knew, but it didn't prevent the slight pit that formed in her stomach.

Griffon walked to his bed and sat down heavily, the frame creaking under his weight. With a sigh he rubbed at his face, reaching under the bed and brandishing a sealed bottle of liquor. Signaling that their meeting was concluded Raven bowed out, marching straight back outside and making a beeline for the blacksmith's forge.

_Qrow won't like this one bit…_

Neither did she. She didn't look forward to this in the same way she did a raid, where fighting and killing made her blood race, fueling her with a euphoric rush that came with pitched combat. Raven's lips drew thin and she glanced sidelong at the tent she knew to be Azalea's, just barely able to hear sobbing coming from within.

Whether they liked it or not was irrelevant. The tribe came before all else. The tribe was their family, their home. The tribe was everything, and perfect or not she would see it protected.

* * *

**Perhaps not the most glorious re-entry after a hiatus, but needed to establish what's going on and build up the tribe a little more. **

**I promise the next chapter isn't going to take so long to come out. **

**And as always thanks for reading!**


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